Apparatus for jacking up and lowering motor vehicle wheels



y 1947- G. H. FOSS 2,420,130

APPARATUS FOR JACKING UP AND LOWERING MOTOR VEHICLE WHEELS Filed Oct. 51, 1944 I l7??? iqwy if/Zm Patented May 6, 1947 UNITED STATE APPARATUS FOR JACKING UP AND LOWER- ING MOTOR VEHICLE'WHEELS George H. Foss, Hamilton, Mass. Application October 31, 1944, Serial No. 561,257

9 Claims. (Cl. 254-88) The present invention relates to means for raising and holding off the ground one end of an axle of an automotive vehicle so that the wheel onthe raised axle end, or the tire on such a wheel, can be changed; as when a tire is punctured and goes fiat.

I An important object of the invention is to enablethe power of the engine of the vehicle to be used for thus raising, or jacking up, the wheel of which substitution or repair is required; for which purpose I provide a ramp or inclined runway, adapted to be laid on the ground, and over which the wheel needing repair is run by travel of the vehicle, and a support on which a part of the axle (or, at need, some other part of the under structure of the vehicle) near to the wheel is caused to rest when the wheel has passed beyond the ramp, and by. which the wheel is supported clear of the ground.

A further object is to provide, in conjunction with such a ramp and support, an efiective but simplecontrivance by which the engine power may be applied, when one of the propelling wheels is thus jacked up, to shift the weight of the vehiclefrom the support to the ramp, through the wheel; so that the wheel may then be lowered to the ground.

A further object is to provide a ramp and sup port made of articulated parts so constructed and coupled together that they can be folded into the form of compact bundles smaller in one dimension (two dimensions in the case of the ramp) method of procedure according to which a jacked.

up driving wheel, driven by the engine of the vehicle, causes that part of the weight of the vehicle which is normally supported by that wheel to be transferred from the support to the ramp.

The drawings herewith show preferred embodiments of the mechanical features of the invention, and therein,

' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a foldable ramp extended in condition for use;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the ramp folded up into the form of a bundle of less length and height than the extended dimensions of the lllx.

Fig. 3 is a perspective-view of a tension memher by'which traction is effected between a jacked up driving wheel and the ramp in the operation. of lowering the wheel to the ground; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a foldable port forming part of the jacking means; 7

. Fig.5 is'a perspective view of the support folded into the form of a bundle of less height than that of the support when in condition for use;

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the support taken on ahorizontal plane indicated by the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views, in elevation and. plan respectively, illustrating the manner of jacking up a motor vehicle wheel by the apparatus here shown; 7 h

Fig. 9 is a'diagrammatic elevation illustrating the means and pro'cedure by which a. jacked up driving wheel is lowered to the ground.

Like reference characters designate the same parts wherever they occur in all the figures.

The essential parts of the apparatus comprise a ramp, designated as a whole by the reference character A, a support designated as a whole by the reference character B, and a flexible traction member or tension member C. The ramp in- ,cludes an under portion adapted to rest on the ground, and an upper inclined surface or runway which, when the rampis' in position for use, is substantially flus'h with the ground surface at its lowerend-and atv a sufficient elevation above the ground at its upper end to serve the purpose later described. V

The support Bflis provided to maintain, the wheel above the ground after it has been driven upon the ramp and past the high end of the latter. For that purpose it has a base surface of sufficient length and breadth to afford a stable support when resting on the ground and asupporting top surface at a height above the base somewhat greater than the distance abovethe ground of the lowest point of the axle nearthe wheel when'the wheel rests on the ground with its tire fully inflated. Thelengthof the support is'great enough, not only to give stability, but also to simplify the problem of placing the support so that it will receive the axle between the ends of its upper surface when the wheel has passed off from the support.

Use of this apparatus for jacking up the wheel of a motor vehicle when a punctured tire, or other accident, requires the tire or wheel to be changed, is illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8. The ramp is placed on the ground with its lowend placed near to or extending partly underneath the tire of the wheel to be jacked up, and its length extending in. the direction of .thelength of the vehicle. Thesupport is placed on the ground somewhat beyond the high, end of the frampandinward therefrom toward, the longitudinal middle of the vehicle. ,Thevehicle may be. then propelled by its own is supported thereby with the under part of the 5:

wheel tire clear of the ground.

Either the front or rear wheel at either-side 'oli the vehicle may be jacked up in thismann'er'f' The illustration here given shows areari wheeliofj a conventional automobile .having an associated brak d, and a portion of the rear spring s" wheel ;of a vehicle having a depressed front axle,

.thesupportis placed so that the low part of the m le adjacent to the end nearest the wheel will repose-on the support. 1

It will .be apparent 'fr'om the .foregoing-descr ip {tion that-the engine .of the vehicle furnishes the power necessary for elevating the wheel which needs repair and that part of the weightjoi' the vehicle which .is .borne by ,lth'e wheel, and that the muscular exertion of'the driver-delimited to that needed to place thelram'p and'support 'in position; and it .is ,further'ev'ident that all the difficulties and -incorivnlen'ces incident to placement of a jack of the kind with which automobiles are usually provided (o'ften'requiring the operator tolie on the ground'inorderto reach under the axle), are avoided entirely. .This jacking up operation can be performed easilyv/"he'rever the .car happens to be when a 'tirefgoes fiat, whether "on a leveliroad or a slope, and the jacked up comer'of the chassis is'the'n 'stablysupported'.

.An exceedingly difiicult problem solved by the present invention jis'that or lowering to the ground, or "'uniac'kihg', a 'drivlngwheel 'ofthe vehicle. The ,difleren'tial gearing through which automobile wheels are coupled with the engine causes any driving wheel which is clear er the ground to spin when the engine runs and de- .prives the other driving wheel .or'wheels of trac- 'tion. In the solution of this problem I have provided the traction memberC which is adapted to 'the'embodiment'here shown, is a flexible band"" having a length substantially equal to, or some- "what greater than, th'eclrcuinierence of the inflated wheel 'tire plus the "length of the ramp,

and provided with a loop or ball Zattached to one end. The manner oi its use is shown in'Fig. 9. It lsi'lai'd on the inclined surface of the ramp with "its loop 1 embracing the higher end thereof,

, and it is passed, together with the lower-end of from lightgpleasure cars to'tnucks of 'all capacities,

thejramp, beneath the jacked up dr'iving wheel w.

it 'is also wrapped around thecircumi'erence of the wheel and its free end is tucked between the tire and the ramp, such free end being thenembraced by :an underlying part -of the band. The *band may be thus wrapped. and drawnyclosely enough. around the wheel toyafford "a frictional grip; by rotating the wheel manually while the band is slack, and pushing or drawing the low end oi the ramp beneath "the wheel, preferably a en us e t re s Th pr is n o sufllcienVleng'th -in the band to provide an overibeflprovided 'wltha'iriction or skim coating of rubber; It is necessary that there be a substantialcoefficient of friction between the rubber tire and the surface, of a traction band used in the manner described,-but not necessary for the development of the requisite friction that the band be rubber coated. The frictional quality which suflices .for the transmission of power by abelt is sufiicieritfor thispurpoself If. V 1' With the traction "bandapplied in the manner described and illustrated, the engine ofthe vehicleis started andf'iscoupled'with the driving train. The initial rotation thereby imparted to the jacked up wheel causes thejband ftobe, pulled tightly around the 'circumierenceot'the tire 'and to bind the wheelies firmly thatthe wheelcanndt spin. That wheel, 'and the driving wheelon the ground, then apply traction such thatthe vehic'le ,moves and "thewheelwtravels'np the ramp, raising; the axle from the support B, latter-can then be removed and the wheel lowered to' fihe "ground by letting it" roll down the ramp, or the vehicle can be propelledfi'urt'her' in' the original direction untilthe wheel drops irom-thehigh end of the ramp. The traction "thus developed is amply sufficient to overcome the f-fictionbetmm the axle and the support existing before th'ellrflt movement of the vehicle occurs.

As thestress applied to the band C during this action is paralleltothe slope of the ramp, a downward-component, there 'is no tendency ror the loop 1 to be pu'll'cd upward and over :the upper 'corner oi the ramp, hence the mere embracement of the upper rear-comer 0f the ramp by the loop is suflicient to couple the band securely thereto. v r 1 While the traction band the particulars herein described is important as being the .best

means for'the purposey itis to bemmderst'ood that traction-elements of other designs and characteristics may be used, provided only they :are capable of connecting the wheel the ramp so that *the wheel cannot sp'in, and 'so that the 'rota't ive 'force of the wheel is converted into a pull tending to draw the ramp under :the wheel and thus, "by reaction, causing the wheelto travel upwardlonfthe ramp. A rclatively'short travel is -sufll'c'ientjto remove the weight of the ear entirely from the support B andzp'ermit the latter to be movcdaway from axle.

I he ramp, support, and traction :nremberimay be ma'de in diiierent sizes and. dimensions for use with motor vehicles of rdifierent types, ranging and other large and heavy vehicles. In equipment which .1 have used rlrcquently :and success- -"i-ully for jacking up the wheels of 1a one ton truck, the ramp has a length of about 5 feet, a

height at the elevated end of :9 inches, and a 'Widiih of base and runway OfJB' inches.

The support is 18 inches long, 10 inches high and 8 'iinches'wide. The traction ibandhasza width of 4 inches and a length-of 12 izhaiveiound that if the ramp is too steep, the resistance :of a Iree height is still less.

or less, no difficulty on that score is encountered; It isto be understood, however, that variations from the specific values herein given may be made without departing from the invention.

To facilitate stowage, so that the ramp and support can be carried byan automobile for use at any timein any place, I have constructed them of a number of parts so connected by hinged joints that they can be folded into reduced compass. The principles and details of the foldable structures here illustrated involve features of the invention for which I desire protection.

The base portion of the ramp is composed of two parts or panels l and H connected by a hinge l2 so located that'the panels can be swung about the hinge axis in a downward direction with respect to the position they occupy in Fig. 1. The inclined runway is composed of two sections or panels l3 and I4 connected together by a hinge l5, and the panel [3 is coupled by a hinge 16 to one end of the base panel ID. Braces l1 and I8 are connected to the base panel H by hinges l9 and 20, respectively; the brace being located to underlie and supportthe highest end of the ramp panel I4, andthe brace l8 to underlie and support the joint between the two panels i3 and Hi. Preferably the base panel extends beyond the location of the brace H and the supported end of the upper panel I l, providing a platform Ha in order to give stability, preventing the rampfrom tilting up when the wheel, in mounting on it, is'near the end, and just before it rollsoff the end. The hinges I9 and 2E? are disposed so that both braces can swing down in the same direction against the base panel II. The braces are coupled together by a link or connecting rod 2| pivoted to them at such distances from their hinge pivots that they swing in unison from raised to lowered position. Shoulders 22 and 23 are formed in the panels l4 and I5, respectively, to abut against the braces when the latter are upright, and brace ll carries on its free extremity dowels 24 adapted to enter sockets 25 in the end of the panel M. In addition a hook 2B isconnected with the base panel H and is disposed to enter an eye 27 carried by the inclined' panel l4. Thus, by means of the shoulders, dowels and hook, the parts of the ramp are interlocked so that they form a rigid structure of which no part can shift relativelyto any other part when subjected to the stresses of use.

In folding this structure to smaller compass, the hook 26 is released, the top panel I4 freed from the dowels 24 and turned over upon the panel I3, the braces l! and H! are laid down on the base panel ll, and the latter is swung about thehinge It, the whole combination having been previously lifted or tipped over on its side. Then the folded ramp presents substantially the appearance shown in Fig. 2. Its length is reduced to about one half and its thickness to approximately the difference between the greatest height of the extended ramp and the combined thickness of four panels and one brace. Since, in the illustrated embodiment the panels are made of pieces of wooden boards one inch thick, the folded height is inches plus whatever spaces between them may be caused by the presence of hinges, but it is within the scope of the. invention to make these parts of thinner boards of adequately strong wood, or of metal plates thinner than wooden boards, whereby the folded However, even in this illustration, the height is considerably reduced by folding. Of course the width remains the same.

.Thesupport B is conveniently made :as: a rectangular box with strong-Walls connected by hinges so that they can belaidflatwise' on one another. As here shown, the box structure. is formed of top and bottom walls 28 and 29, side walls 30 and 3| and end walls 32 and 33. The bottom wall 29 and side wall 30 are connected by double jointed hinges 34 so appliedthat the wall 30 can be set upright on a margin of the bottom walli 2S and swung outward and under the bottom wall. The top wall 28 overlies at one margin the upper edge of wall 301 and is connected to the latter by hinges 35 arranged topermit the top wall to fold against theinn'er surface of wall 3D.;'I'he other side wall2'3l is interposed between the top and bottom Walls, is connected to the top wall.28 by double jointed hinges 36 and has dowels 31 protruding from its lower edge into sockets 38 in the margin of. the bottom wall 29 opposite to that which supports wall 30. The hinges 36 are so disposed that the wall 3| can be swung outward and .over the top wall 28; The end walls 32 and 33 are hinged to the side wall 3| at the ,ends of the latter by hinges 39 and 40. Their dimensions are equal to the height and width of the interior of the boX so that, when located at right angles to the wall 3|, they afford bracing support between the walls of both pairs; 1. e., the pair composing the top and bottom walls 28 and 23 and. the pair of'side walls 3|] and 3|. These end walls can be swung inward to lie'against the inner face of wall 3|, as indicated by broken lines in Fig, 6., In folding to more compact form, .the wall 3| is disengaged from wall 29 and folded back on the outer side of wall 28; the bottom wall 29 is foldedback against the outer side of wall 30, and the walls 28 and 33- arebrought together face toface by turning on the hinges 35. The steps of folding can be performed in other sequences than above described, but ultimately they result in bringing the walls 28 and 30 together face to face, the wall 29 against the outer faceof wall 30, the wall 3| against the outer faceof wall 28, and the end walls against .what was before the inner face, and is now the outer face of wall 3|. The height of the resulting package is less than that of the extended box, being equal to the combined thicknesses of five walls plus spaces due to the presence of the hinges. As here shown, the box walls are made of sections of one inch thick woodenboards, and the hinges can be inset into the wood so as to permit the walls to lie in face to face contact. Also the walls can'be made of thinner piec'es'and a greater reduction of height thereby obtained with folding.

The box may-be placed either side up to serve as a support in the manner previously described and it is a matter of choice whether the wall 28 is the top and 29 the bottom, or vice versa. However, when these'walls are made of wood, the one which is selected to be the top is preferably armored with a plate 4| of steel or other suitablyhard material, so as to prevent scoring and splintering of the wood by projections on the axle structure when the latter drops on the support in use, as described.

What I claim and desire Patent is:

1. A jacking apparatus for motor vehicles comprising the combination of a ramp having abase to secure by Letters .portion, for contact with the ground and an in- 7 7 its "motive mechanism, an axle support disposed to receive and uphold the axle of such a vehicle when the wheel associated with such axle runs oil the higher end of the ramp, the ramp being placeable with its lower 'endtbeneath the wheel upheld by said support, and a traction band having means for connection with the higher part of the ramp and otherwise free from connection therewith, the band extending thence beneath and around the wheel for frictional engagement, 10

with the wheel the, said traction band being adapted to create traction between the wheel and ramp when the wheel is rotated by :power in the -direction tending to cause it to travel in the ascendingdirection along the ramp.-

2. An apparatus for lowering the driving wheel of an. automotive vehicle :to the ground when such, wheel is held clear of the ground by 'a support underlying the axle whichthe wheel is associated, comprising a ramp adapted to be 1 placed on the ground and having an inclined up- ;per surface arranged to be placed substantially tangent to the under side of the tire of the raised -wheel when the ramp rests on the ground, :and :a. traction band having :a connector at one end 'engageable with the higher part of the ramp and being of flexible material and of a length enabling :it to pass along the ramp under the wheel :and around the circumference of the wheel tire with underlap of its extremity between the tire and another portion of the band.

3. An appliance for use in lowering to the ground the :driving wheel of an automotive vehicle when such wheel is held in raised position by a support underlying the adjacent axle ot the vehicle, comprising a ramp having an under surface adapted to rest on the ground and an inclined upper surface adjoining an upright portion at its .uppe extremity, and a flexible band having a loop at one end adapted to embrace the upright terminal extremity of the ramp, said band being adapted to be placed with the lower extremity of the ramp beneath and tangent to the under side of the tire of the raised wheel and having a length enabling it to be wrapped around the "circumference of theme and to be overlapped at the under side of the tire by a portion of the band. 7

4. A ifoldable ramp for motor vehicle jacking purposes, comprising two base panels hinged to gether so that they can be extended in alinement with each other and folded face to face,

s runway formed of two panels hinged together so that they can be extended in alinement and folded together face to face, one of said runwaypanels being hinged to the 'extremity of one of the base panels in a position such that'the major portion of the :two runway :panels overlie the'b'ase' panels, and braces between the base panel :and

runway ,panels :disposed to support the latter at a prescribed inclination to the base panelsf'one of said braces being beneath the hinge "joint of the runway panels and the other being beneath a "more elevated portion or the runway.

:5. A dolda'ble :ramp for motor vehidle jacking purposes, comprising two base panels Eliing'edtm gather so that they canbe extended in a'lin'ement with each other and Tolded' fa'ce :to a runway formed of =two panels hinged {together so that they can be extended in alinenient and folded together face 'to faceQone of said runway panels being hinged to the extremity of one of the base pan'e'ls in a position such that themaj'or portion :01 the two runway panels overlie the base panels, and braces between the base panels and runway panels disposed to support the letter at a prescribed inclination to the base panels, one of said braces being beneath the hinge joint of the runway panels and the other being beneath a more elevated portion of the runway, said braces being'hinged to the base in a manner permitting them itohe placed upright and to be laid down againstthe base.

6. -..A ramp as set forth in claim 4, combined with a connecting rod in pivotal encasement with both braces at points equally distant from the hinge axes of the respective braces, whereby to compel movement of both braces in unison whenieither is raised or lowered. ,7. A ioldable ramp as set ,iorth -in claim 4, combined with a tie member interconnected detachably between the base and runway portions of the ramp when the runway is supported by the braces.

'8. A ramp as set forth in claim 4, combined with a connecting rod in pivotal engagement with both braces at points equally distant from the hinge axes of the respective braces, whereby to compel movement in unison with both braces when either is raised or lowered, and a tie member adapted to be interconnected between the base and runway portions, of the ramp when the braces iare in their upright operative positions, whereby to prevent collapse of the ramp structure under the-stresses of use.

9. A jacking apparatus for motor vehicles comprising a foldable ramp, having two base panels hinged together so that they can be extended in alinement with each other and folded race to face, a runway formed with two panels hinged together so that they can be extended in alinement and folded into superposed relation, one of said runway panels being hinged to the extremity of one of the base panels in a position such :thatt-he major portion'of the runway panels overlie the base panels, and displaceable braces between the base panels and the runway panels disposed tosupport the latter at'aprescribed inclination to the base panels, combined with :an axle support disposed to receive and uphold an axle of such a vehicle when the wheel associated with such axle runs :off the higher :end of the zalined runway panels, the ramp being placeable with the lower end 101? its alined runway Panels 'beneath the wheel upheld by said support, and a traction bandhaving a loop at" one end adapted to embrace and engage one of said braces when the band is laid lengthwise along the runway panels, the band having va length suificient to wrap around the tire of said wheel and to be overlapped on that ,part of the 'band which extends between the wheel and the-ramp.

, GEORGE -H. FOSS.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record "in the .file-of this patent:

UNITED "STATES PATENTS 

